Roche

Roche (Hoffmann-La Roche) is a global pharmaceutical and medical services company headquartered in Basel, Switzerland. The company specializes in pharmaceuticals, diagnostics and biotechnology and virology. Specialty areas also include auto-immune diseases, inflammatory and metabolic disorders and diseases of the central nervous system. Roche has Research and Development (R&D) agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners. The company, which sells its products in some 180 countries, operates in two main segments, pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. Brand name drugs include cancer therapies MabThera/Rituxan and Avastin, anemia treatment NeoRecormon/Epogin, hepatitis drug Pegasys, transplant drug CellCept, macular degeneration therapy Lucentis and Tamiflu for influenza. Roche also markets many of its best sellers through its subsidiary Genentech and its affiliate Chugai Pharmaceutical. Roche diagnostics include DNA tests and diabetes supplies.

In the fiscal year ending in December of 2009, the company reported sales of approximately $49.28 billion dollars and had 81,507 employees.

Animal testing
Roche does animal testing.

Facility information, progress reports & USDA-APHIS reports
For links to copies of a facility's U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)-Animal Plant Health Inspection (APHIS) reports, other information and links, see also Stop Animal Experimentation NOW!: Facility Reports and Information. This site contains listings for all 50 states, links to biomedical research facilities in that state and PDF copies of government documents where facilities must report their animal usage. (Search: Roche, Nutley, NJ; Roche, Palo Alto, CA).

The Roche Palo Alto LLC lab performed animal experiments involving pain or distress but no analgesics, anesthetics or pain relievers were administered.

Roche's subsidiary Genetech also does animal testing. See also Genentech.

USDA AWA reports
As of May 26, 2009, the USDA began posting all inspection reports for animal breeders, dealers, exhibitors, handlers, research facilities and animal carriers by state. See also USDA Animal Welfare Inspection Reports.

Contract testing
Roche contract tests out to Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS). HLS is the 3rd largest contract research organization (CRO) in the world and the largest animal testing facility in all of Europe. Firms hire HLS to conduct animal toxicity tests for agrochemicals, petrochemicals, household products, pharmaceutical drugs and toxins. HLS has a long history of gross animal welfare violations. See also Huntingdon Life Sciences.

Case Studies

 * Roche's $ 65,000 Dinner For Australian Doctors
 * Roche Supplies Xenical Weight Loss Drug to UK Diet Clinic

Roche products

 * Avastin
 * Herceptin
 * Tamiflu
 * Xenical

Mergers & acquisitions
Genentech, Inc. is a pharmaceutical company and one of the world's most financially successful biotechnology corporations. Roche, which previously owned a majority of stock in the San Francisco based firm, took full ownership in 2009.

Cancer United
Cancer United is a pharmaceutical industry front group established by the Weber Shandwick public relations firm. It is funded entirely by Roche.

Contact
F. Hoffmann-La Roche Ltd Roche Group Media Office Corporate Communications CH-4070 Basel Switzerland

Telephone +41-61-688 8888

Telefax +41-61-688 2775

Web address: http://www.roche.com/home.html

SourceWatch resources

 * Animal testing
 * Biotechnology
 * Cancer United
 * Genentech
 * Huntingdon Life Sciences
 * International Association for the Study of Obesity
 * International Obesity Task Force
 * Medicines Australia's Code of Conduct
 * National Primate Research Center System
 * Patient Groups
 * Pharmaceutical industry
 * War on Cancer

External articles

 * "Company Suspended From ABPI Membership Over Breaches Of Code Of Practice", Association of the British Pharmaceutical Industry, Media Release, July 2008.
 * Adam Cresswell, "Drug firm fined $75,000 over lavish meals for doctors", The Australian, February 13, 2007.